Associations between body weight and rectal temperature in turkey poults

1. Associations between body weight and rectal temperature were observed in female turkeys.

2. Turkeys with lower weights between 13 and 30 d of age tended to have higher temperatures.

3. Turkeys with lower weights at 7 d exhibited depressed body temperatures.

4. Higher or lower body temperatures may be associated with poorer performance depending on the time of appearance.     

Effect of cycling temperature on growth,energy metabolism and nutrient retention of individual male turkeys

1. Each week, from 12 to 20 weeks of age, male turkeys of a heavy strain were subjected to cool (C; 16°C), hot (H; 29°C), and cycling temperatures, and fed on a standard diet ad libitum for 4 d. Lighting was intermittent, 3 h on, 3 h off. Food was given when lights were on. Those given cycling temperatures (3 h C; 3 h H) were given food and light during the cool (eat‐when‐cool, EC) or hot (EH) periods.

2. Birds in all treatments gained similar amounts of weight from 12–14 weeks of age. Thereafter, birds in C maintained gains, the body weight gains of birds in EC and EH declined moderately and birds in H lost weight.

3. Birds in C produced more metabolic heat. Those in H showed increased heat production as they became older.

4. Protein retention was greater in turkeys in C, EC and EH. It was lower in H, becoming negative between 18–20 weeks of age. Birds in H suffered body fat losses which increased with age.

5. Birds in EH and EC gained similar amounts of body weight. Birds in EH exhibited lower heat production and greater energy retention than those in EC.

6. Body temperatures were higher in H than in the other environments.     

Effects of ambient temperature and restricted feeding on the growth of feathers in growing turkeys

1. Male turkeys were reared to 6 weeks of age at 15 degrees C and 26 degrees C and fed ad libitum or restricted to 0.5 of the body weight of birds fed ad libitum. Basal metabolic rate was determined by indirect calorimetry at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C. 2. Turkeys at 15 degrees C were lighter than those kept at 26 degrees C. Feather lengths and weight were similar in both groups. Fasting heat production corrected for both metabolic body size and activity was greater in turkeys reared at 15 degrees C than those at 26 degrees C. 3. Cranial breast feathers were significantly longer in restricted birds than in those fed ad libitum in contrast to a proportional decrease in the lengths of other feathers of 0.1 to 0.3. Feather weight as a proportion of body weight was 0.072 in restricted turkeys compared with 0.046 in birds fed ad libitum. There was no difference in basal metabolic rate between ad libitum and restricted turkeys. 4. It was concluded that feather growth was maintained in preference to body and muscle growth and that rearing birds at 15 degrees C did not improve breast feather cover. It is suggested that the growth of breast feathers in turkeys fed ad libitum is impaired.     

Characterisation of genes isolated from a potato swellingstolon cDNA library

Summary In screening to isolate a full-length copy of a previously isolated cDNA clone, a further three cDNAs were also isolated from a library prepared from sub-apical swelling-stolon tissue of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Sequence analysis showed these clones to be similar to extensin-like protein genes, acyl carrier protein thioesterase genes and high mobility group protein genes, respectively. A further cDNA, isolated by subtractive hybridisation, was similar to a tomato cDNA previously isolated on the basis of its down-regulation following nematode infection. While all the newly isolated genes were expressed in swelling stolons, for most, maximal expression was seen to be in stem tissue. Possible roles for these genes in the development of potato plants are discussed, as is the significance of gene expression in stems and stolons to the process of tuberisation.